Man, five dogs die in mobile home fire in Palermo

PALERMO -- Cal Fire-Butte County arrived to an engulfed mobile home early Sunday morning in Palermo where one man escaped and another lost his life.

Firefighters were alerted at 3:38 a.m. and although the fire was visible from the beginning of the street, trucks struggled to get down the residents' long driveway at 2847 South Villa Avenue, said Kevin Finkenkeller of Cal Fire-Butte County.

"They put it out as quickly as they could; the fire had been going for a bit before the first call," said Fire Capt. Marcus Ekdahl of Cal Fire-Butte County.

One unidentified occupant, a 26-year-old male, was pronounced dead on the scene and the surviving occupant of the home escaped through a window, Ekdahl said.

Five dogs in the single-wide mobile home also died.

It took four engines and one water tender to contain the fire. The cause of the blaze was unknown Sunday, though it appears to be accidental with no foul play involved, Ekdahl said.

Investigators Mort Myers of Chico Fire Department and Marnie Gedney of Oroville Fire Department were on the scene Sunday afternoon and sought to preserve all evidence within the residence because of the fatality.